Device for spinning tops.



D. L. MOORE, JR. DEVICE FOR SPINNING TOPS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5. 1915.

1 1 76,687. Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

Witnesses: jnvznfor c/fmd "m: COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON. D. c

DAVIS L. MOORE, JR., OF ARLINGTON, NEW JERSEY.

DEVICE FOR SPINNING TOPS.

Application filed April 5, 1915.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVIS L. MOORE, Jr., a citizen of the United States.residing at Arlington. in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey,have invented a new and .useful Device for Spinning Tops, which I call atop and continuous spinner and of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to an improved form of top and its spinner, whichenables the top to be spun at great speed without having to wind up thecord and which also permits the top to be spun at full speed again whileit is still spinning but nearly run do-wn,without interrupting itsspinning.

The invention consists of the parts and the arrangement of the parts, ofwhich a description follows.

Figure 1 shows top view and side View of the spinner; Fig. 2 shows theside view and bottom view of the top; and Fig. 3 shows the side view ofa modified form of the driving end of the spinner spindle and the sideview of the modified form of top for which this form of spinner spindleis adapted.

The top is a plain disk top upon which any color device may be mountedand as this form of top will spin for seven or eight minutes withoutmuch wabble, it is best for continuous spinning.

The top as finished is all one piece, the disk 18 being rigidly mountedon the spindle with its spinning point 19 and having the reinforcingwasher 20. The spindle 15 has the smaller diameter round pointed pin 14for its upper part and at the junction of these two. is the spiralshaped track 21 with the shoulder 16 joining the beginning and end ofthis track as shown.

The spinner is composed of the hollow wooden handle 1, to which isattached the bent sheet metal yoke 13 by means of nails 12. The spool 2is tightly mounted on the spindle 3, which is journaled in the yoke 13.The lower part of spindle 3 is formed into the hollow coil 5. Thespinning cord 4 passes through the handle 1, around spool 2 and throughthe guide hole 10 in the yoke 13 and is provided with the terminalbutton 7 shown and also with a similar terminal button at the other endof the cord, which is not shown. The sheet metal spring 9 is providedfor the purpose of applying Specification of Letters Patent.

Iatented Mar. 21, 1916.

Serial No. 19,278.

light friction to the cord 4 in its passage through the handle 1.

With the spinner and top in the positions shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2taken together, if the spinner is lowered over the top stem, its tubularcoil 5 will envelop the pin 14 of the top and the coil end 6 will droppast shoulder 16. Then if the spinner handle is held still and the cordterminal 7 is pulled to the right, the spindle 3 and the top will bespun; and when the spindle 3 stops turning, the top will continue tospin and its spiral track 21 will lift the coil 5 of the spinner,whichthe operator will then remove. Now with the construction shown, it willbe seen that even when the top is spinning, the coil 5 of the spinnermay, with a little care, be placed over the stem of the top,since thehole in coil 5 is much larger than the pointed end 17 of the top stem,and when the coil 5 has captured this point, it may be pressed downfarther on the top stem, to secure a journaled connection with itbecause of the gradual slope of the pointed end of 14. When thisjournaled connection is established, the cord terminal 7 is to be pulledas the spinner is pressed farther down on the top stem,- to the one waydrive engage1nent,when the top may be spun at full speed again.

Fig. 3 shows the form of spinner spindle which is adapted tocontinuously spin a top having a stem with a blunt end ;the flaringfunnel shape extension 22 of tube 5 (which is tightly mounted on thespinner spindle 3), serving to capture the blunt end of the top stem,while the top is spinning, and the one-way driving engagement between Gand 16 being made, as in the other form, when the spinner issufiiciently lowered.

The continuous spinning feature is arrived at by three successive butdistinct steps :first, the capture of the end of pin 14 with theextremity of tube 5; second, the establishment of a fairly close fittingjournaled connection between the tube and the pin. before the drivingengagement is made; third,making the driving engagement. The first stepis accomplished by having the extremity of the tube much larger than theend of the pin and if the pin is not pointed. then the tube must be madeflaring or funnel shape at the end, much larger than the pin and leadinggradually to a fairly close journaled connection with the pin asbefore,-which is the second step. The third step may be accomplished bymeans of any suitable one-Way drive device. The tube 5 may be carried bythe top and the pin 14 may be the terminus of the spinnerspindle,instead of them being placed as shown.

In addition to the continuous spinning feature, this spinner will give amore powerful impulse to a top than can be given by the usual vertical,loose holding handle, With the cord wound on the top stem. When spinninga top by the latter method, the pull on the cord must be moderated toprevent pulling the handle from the vertical and this diminishes theforce of the impulse given to the top; While the straight line pull ofthis spinner allows the full strength of the operator to be used to spinthe top, as there is no lateral turning tendency. To reset the spinner,the cord 4 is pulled back through the handle 1,Which is simpler thanWinding a cord on a top stem. The cord 4, in being passed through thehollow core of the handle, is kept entirely out of contact With the handholding the spinner and the loose end of the cord is kept clear of thetop. The guide hole 10 can be dispensed With, if the cord terminal 7 ismade too large to pass between the spool 2 and the handle 1.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and Wish tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A top and a rotatable spinner therefor, comprising a spindle on oneof them and a tubular member on the other to engage the spindle, thespindle having a conical end, and a oneWay drive connection between thetubular member and the spindle.

2. A top and a rotatable spinner therefor, comprising a spindle on oneof them and a member on the other provided with a hole,

the said hole having a flaring funnel-shaped opening, and a one-Waydrive connection between the spindle and the member having the hole.

DAVIS L. MOORE. JR. \Vitnesses:

MAUD KEEN MOORE, WALTER G. MEADOW.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

